Origin
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Morning in Lake Hopatcong on Sunday
Local time
11:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lake Hopatcong, NJ to Newark, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
32.7 mi
53 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Mathias Reding
Trip Overview
This 32.7-mile drive from Lake Hopatcong to Newark, NJ, is a manageable 44-minute trip, perfect for a single day. You'll primarily navigate via the Essex Freeway and Christopher Columbus Highway, with a portion on Rt 15 South, experiencing a mixed drive profile. With a budget of around $5 for fuel, this route is a quick hop within the Northeast region. It’s a straightforward journey that doesn't require an overnight stay, making it ideal for a quick excursion or an easy commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 13.3 mi | 16m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 11 mi | 12m |
| Rt 15 South | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Edison Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Espanong Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| University Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Orange Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 13.3 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Hopatcong, NJ and Newark, NJ.
1
Start on CR 615
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Espanong Road
2
Turn right onto CR 615
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Edison Road
3
Keep slight right at fork onto Edison Road
379 ft
·
7 sec
·
Edison Road
4
Take the ramp
257 ft
·
7 sec
5
Merge onto NJ 15
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Rt 15 South
Use the right lane.
6
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 80 East: New York
7
Merge onto I 80
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
9
Continue on I 280
13 mi
·
16 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 14
Toward Martin Luther King Boulevard, Broad Street Station, Rutgers University, Essex County College
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
269 ft
·
9 sec
·
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Use the right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
140 ft
·
11 sec
·
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
13
Turn left onto Orange Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Orange Street
14
Turn right onto University Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
University Avenue
15
Turn left onto CR 510
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Market Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
16
Arrive at destination
CR 510
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 32.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
NJ 15 / Rt 15 South
Merge onto NJ 15 / Rt 15 South
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
17.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
8
31.4 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward Martin Luther King Boulevard, Broad Street Station, Rutgers University, Essex County College
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14
Toward Martin Luther King Boulevard, Broad Stre...
6
31.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Turn right onto Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
32.4 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
CR 510 / Market Street
Turn left onto CR 510 / Market Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.42 one way
$10.84 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.94 | $11.87 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.34 | $12.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.22 | $14.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.43 | $1.57 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Newark, NJ
Morning in Newark on Sunday
Local time
11:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
4 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a drive that's about 52% highway, offering a blend of faster-paced travel and local road sections. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.3 miles on the Essex Freeway. This route presents a mixed drive, meaning you'll transition between different types of roads, so keep an eye on your navigation. The character of the drive shifts as you move from more open stretches to areas with more local traffic, so be prepared for varying conditions behind the wheel.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.3 mi on Essex Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near NJ 15 / Rt 15 South.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 32.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (NJ 15 / Rt 15 South): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 31.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Newark, NJ
Full guide →Newark is New Jersey's largest city and second largest in Metro New York. Although one of the great historic cities of the Northeast and the most culture-rich city in the state, Newark is often overlooked in favor of Goliath-like Manhattan and towns along the Hudson River, such as Jersey City and Hoboken. While no longer the industrial powerhouse it once was, Newark remains one of America's major shipping, rail, and air hubs. Public transportation is abundant, making it easy to get to, from, and around the city. Newark has been economically disadvantaged for some time, and suffers from a bad reputation, often informed by negative stereotyping. Thanks in large part to a nationally high-profile mayor (Cory Booker, now a U.S.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 32.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.3 miles on Essex Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Newark, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (NJ 15 / Rt 15 South): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 31.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Newark, NJ before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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